A 43-year-old security guard in Venezuela was pulled alive from the ruins of a shopping center Thursday after being trapped beneath the rubble for eight days following twin earthquakes that killed more than 2,200 people.
Rescue Efforts
Hernán Alberto Gil Flores was rescued from the collapsed basement of the Galerías Playa Grande shopping center in the coastal state of La Guaira, where he had been trapped since the powerful earthquakes struck June 24.
Rescuers first made contact with Gil Flores over the weekend after detecting signs of life beneath the debris. They used a telescopic camera to communicate with Gil Flores and lowered water and liquid nutrients through a narrow shaft to keep him alive during the final days of the rescue.
Gil Flores’ wife, Gusbimar González, said the family’s despair turned to hope after rescuers reached her husband. The couple has two children, ages 8 and 10.
International Response
The operation was led by Chilean firefighters and included search-and-rescue teams from Costa Rica, the United States, Portugal, Mexico, and other countries. The U.S. government has mobilized $150 million in humanitarian aid to help Venezuela respond to the disaster.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
